


Textures of Love

by MalcolmReynolds



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged Up, Endgame Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Reverse Crush (Miraculous Ladybug)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:21:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28110000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalcolmReynolds/pseuds/MalcolmReynolds
Summary: Marinette meets Luka for the first time when she is commissioned to do some work for Jagged Stone, and he is one of Jagged's favorite studio musicians.
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 28
Kudos: 113
Collections: LBSCSprintFicChallenge





	Textures of Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fenheart87](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fenheart87/gifts).



> This is my contribution to the LBSC Secret Santa exchange. So... I may have cheated and sprinted more than 3 times... but this story really wanted to be told. 
> 
> Merry Christmas, Fen! I love you!!!!

Marinette sat in the lobby of Jagged Stone’s studio, waiting for the star to finish up what he was doing. She had her portfolio with the artwork for his next album, as well as sketches of outfits he could wear on his next tour. She had been surprised when he contacted her out of the blue, a few years after he had “retired”. She hadn’t thought the star would be able to stay out of the spotlight for long, although his priorities had changed with the birth of his child two years ago. 

Penny had been managing Jagged for years, and Marinette knew that if Jagged was truly doing this, it was with her blessing. She’d listened to his album as she sketched, loving the new, softer side that he’d shown in this new album. He had told her that he’d brought in a collaborator, someone that he’d been working with for years, and had used several of his songs in his new album. 

She sat as still as she could, leg bouncing with nervous energy as she heard the singer coming down the hallway. His voice was undeniable, and his enthusiasm was as effusive as it always had been. The voice of the person walking with him was a low rumble, words indistinguishable, when he could get them in around Jagged’s torrent of words. Unable to stop them, the corners of her mouth twitched up. 

Bursting into the lobby, Jagged rushed over and hugged Marinette, the young man he’d been talking to standing awkwardly off to the side, patiently waiting for Jagged to finish. Hugging the older man back, Marinette inquired about Penny and Jagged’s daughter, and the older man pulled out his phone to show her pictures. 

The young man that had entered the lobby with Jagged cleared his throat, and the others flicked their eyes to him. He was tall and slender, wearing a well-worn band shirt (not a Jagged Stone shirt, she noticed) with ripped jeans and worn out converse. A guitar was slung on his back like it had grown there. Jerking a thumb back down the hallway they’d just come out of, he spoke softly, his voice quiet but clear, “I’m just gonna go finish up…”

When Jagged waved him off, the man tossed dark hair out of his eyes, offered a brief smile to Marinette, and then turned and walked back into the studio area. Marinette watched him go, studying the casually graceful way that he moved, the play of muscles that were strong but not showy rippling along his arms. 

Jagged kept talking once he’d waved the guitarist away, not noticing the way Marinette’s eyes were following the younger man, not trained on the photos of his daughter. As the door shut, Marinette’s gaze snapped back to Jagged’s phone with a bright smile, internally sighing with relief that nobody had noticed. 

When he ran out of photos of little Copper, Jagged ushered Marinette back to his “office”. The room consisted of a jumble of musical instruments, a pile of papers with half-written songs, scraps of lyrics and musical riffs, and a small table with a neat pile of colored folders, each labeled with notes like, “for Jagged’s signature” and “listen to this before recording”. Marinette smiled, unsure if Penny was responsible, or she’d just trained her replacement very well. 

Unsurprisingly enthusiastic about her work, Jagged agreed to all of her suggestions, loving her ideas for copper accents on everything he wore. When he pulled out the images for the album cover, he gasped in delight. He engulfed Marinette in a hug once again, babbling about how perfect it was. He stuck his head out the door for his office, and hollered a name down the hall. “Luka!”

A minute later the young man she’d seen in the lobby hovered in the doorway. This time she was close enough to see the ocean blue of his eyes. He raised them to Jagged, the guitar still slung on his back. He ran his hand through his dark hair as he waited for Jagged to notice him, and Marinette noticed that while the top layer was jet black, the hair underneath was a bright blue. Catching Marinette watching him, he offered her a half-smile, the left side of his mouth quirking up. 

Butterflies started dancing in her stomach as his smile caused her heart to do a little flip. Knowing that it was already too late, Marinette told her traitorous heart that she most definitely was _not_ falling for this quiet young man, no matter how attractive he was. 

Jagged had spotted him, and was waving the design for the album cover in front of him. Luka effortlessly tugged it from the rockstar’s fingers, smoothing the paper out so that he could study the details. His finger touched the corner where Marinette’s signature was hidden. His eyes snapped to hers, and he studied her, considering. “You’re the one who designed the _Rock Giant_ cover?” 

Marinette nodded. “That was ten years ago. I was still in college then, and Jagged was living a much more rock-and-roll lifestyle.” At Jagged’s protest, she amended her statement. “A much more _stereotypical_ rock-and-roll lifestyle.” Jagged nodded, appeased. “I made this cover to reflect the fact that there were more ballads on this album than there were in the past. The copper outlines are a tribute to both his daughter and his wife.”

The young man, Luka, she reminded herself, nodded. “It definitely fits the sound of his new album. You have talent.”

Feeling herself blush heavily at his compliment, even while she couldn’t stop the smile that stretched across her face, Marinette nodded. “Thank you.”

She glanced over at Jagged who was watching them. “Marinette, this is Luka Couffaine. He’s been one of my studio guitarists since he was in Lycee, maybe a year after you showed me that talent has no age limit. He’s the one who wrote several of the songs on this album, and he’s been helping keeping me organized while Penny’s at home.”

Luka made a face at the mention of trying to keep Jagged organized, but schooled his features quickly, even as Marinette giggled, then slapped a hand over her mouth. Luka’s mouth quirked into a smile and he turned his head to look at her, before looking back over at Jagged. “Did you want me to take care of the artwork?”

Jagged’s smile grew. “Yes, please! Talk to Marinette and get everything you need.” He stepped away as his phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out and checked the display before mouthing “Penny.” and fixing his hair before answering it. 

As he stepped out of the room, both Marinette and Luka chuckled, Marinette smiling up at Luka, her heart beating as if to escape her chest. Walking over to the stack of folders, Luka drew out a pink one. He held it up, offering her a genuine, full smile for the first time. Feeling her heart drop somewhere around her stomach, she almost missed Luka’s quiet chuckle. “Now I understand why Jagged insisted on pink for your folder.”

Marinette’s cheeks pinked to almost the same color as the folder and Luka’s grin widened. He teased her by holding the folder up, pretending to compare the two. She knocked his hand away, and they grinned at each other as Marinette’s blush darkened. 

Turning, Luka ushered her over to the couch and coffee table that were reasonably free of musical detritus, sitting close enough to Marinette that she was conscious of the rustle of his shirt and the soft smell of pine and citrus that clung to him. He was speaking to her, about the contract for the designs, but it wasn’t until Luka asked her a question about the timeline for creating them that he realized she wasn’t listening. Half turning, he caught her staring at the snake that curled around his left bicep, disappearing from view under the sleeve of his shirt. The snake itself was teal, and it slithered across a branch resplendent with soft pink apple blossoms. 

Shifting self consciously, Luka tugged at his shirt sleeve, and Marinette’s gaze snapped to his, her face going scarlet. “I’m sorry. The flowers are beautiful, and an interesting contrast to the snake.” She waved a hand at the sketches she had laying across the coffee table. “Noticing details is part of my job and I tend to get caught up.” 

His smile let her know that he understood. “It’s also the only one I see that doesn’t have some kind of musical reference.” She indicated the two that decorated his right forearm, an anchor wrapped in a music staff, and a purple cat mask resting against a bass guitar. 

Positioning his body so that she got a better view of his right side, he pointed at the anchor. “My mother. Part pirate, part rockstar, complete chaos.” His smile softened as he pointed at the other. “My sister: musician and model. I’ve been around music all my life, so yes, that’s a huge part of me.”

She hesitated to ask the next question but blurted it out before she could restrain herself. “And that one’s for your…” she glanced down at his left hand. “Girlfriend?”

He shook his head, glancing at her from under his bangs. “Claire’s my one true love.” Grinning, he patted the guitar still slung on his back affectionately. “The image just came to me one day, and wouldn’t leave me alone. Usually it’s music that does that. I had to get the picture down before it got twisted up with something else.” She shrugged, not quite meeting her eyes. “And paper can be lost, you know?” His voice was softer, hesitant, almost begging her to understand. 

Her smile was wide as she nodded her head. “I do. I tend to work with images more than sounds, but I’ve sometimes had snippets of tunes that follow me around for days. I don’t have a way to capture them though, and they can get lost in the sounds of daily life.”

Luka nodded. “If you ever find one you need to keep, let me know. I can try and capture it for you.”

Marinette smiled, melting at his words, before dragging her mind back to business. Jagged still hadn’t returned by the time they were done, so Luka penciled her in for the next week where she would return with a few fabric samples and possibly a mockup or two. 

They had chatted for a minute in the lobby, and Luka turned to go, when Marinette summoned her courage, reaching out and catching Luka’s wrist. Fishing her phone out of her purse, she pointed to the snake tattoo. “May I take a picture of it. It’s brushing something at the edge of my thoughts.” 

Understanding how the creative process worked, that a sound hovered on the edge of hearing until it burst forth as a scrap of a song, Luka wordlessly pulled up the sleeve of his shirt so she could see the whole thing. A cobra, teal with darker accents curled around his arm. The eyes were wise rather than angry, and the pale pink blossoms stemmed from a forked branch behind the snake’s body and head. A tiny ladybug sat on one of the branches, and Marinette focused on it, the splash of red offering a small spot of whimsy to an otherwise striking piece of art. 

Pictures taken, Marinette backed away, thanking Luka profusely, and walked to the train station, an idea already forming in her mind. 

She worked hard over the next week, cutting and stitching, gathering samples, and all of her free time going to a project that was inspired by Luka’s tattoo. When she arrived at Jagged’s studio the next week, Luka was waiting in the lobby for her, leaning against the receptionist’s desk, smiling wryly.  
“Jagged is, um, not in the right frame of mind right now. Come on back and show me your stuff.” When Marinette blushed to the roots of her hair, Luka threw his head back and laughed, indicating the large garment bag she had slung over her shoulder.

Marinette laughed along with him, her blush receding, although not fully. “I’ve got more in my backpack, too. Do you have somewhere that I can spread it all out?”

Luka nodded. “Come on back to one of our rehearsal rooms. It has the added benefit of being completely soundproofed, and we won’t have to hear Jagged’s rant.”

At Marinette’s frown, Luka rolled his eyes. “One of the newer studio musicians asked whether it was safe to keep Fang around now that Jagged has a baby in the house. I don’t think he’s going to be invited back. It’s a shame, he’s incredibly talented.”

Shrugging, Luka held the door for Marinette, and together they walked back to one of the rehearsal rooms. There was a large table that took up one corner, and a couple of chairs. Marinette draped the clothes she’d started over the music stands, and spread the fabric swatches out over the table. 

Reaching into the bottom of her backpack, she pulled out a package wrapped in brown paper, handing it to Luka, who frowned down at it. “What is this?”

She grinned up at him. “This one’s for you.”

Carefully opening the paper, Luka unwrapped the package, pulling out the black hoodie. When he unfolded it, he saw the teal snake that curled around the left arm from wrist to shoulder, the hood flaring out into a cobra’s hood, silver thread outlining the small fangs at the front of it. Across the body, pooling at the bottom were pale pink apple blossoms, also with just a touch of silver thread at their center, shimmering like dewdrops. 

Luka sucked in a breath, staring at it, transfixed. Eventually, he tore his eyes from it and turned them on Marinette. “It’s gorgeous. Absolutely stunning, and definitely the image that called to me. Thank you.”

Her heart tripped in her chest at his sincerity. “It called to me, too. I felt an almost desperation to create it. I really hope it fits. Please try it on.”

He did, smiling at her as he slipped his arms into the sleeves, tugging it up over his shoulders. It was slightly loose, but comfortable, and the embroidery on it made him wish for a mirror. Marinette pulled out her phone once again, asking to photograph it and he nodded.

She took a few photos, then stepped forward and fussed with the way that it hung, muttering as she did. “Without your measurements, I couldn’t tailor it as I would have liked to, but…” she trailed off, shrugging. 

Luka placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing.” He flipped the hood up so the small triangle fangs rested at the top of his eyebrows. “This is just so cool!” Excited, he pulled her into a hug, and Marinette let out a little squeak of surprise. 

Luka released her immediately, blushing and starting to stammer out an apology, but Marinette waved it away. “You surprised me, that’s all.” Her expression was soft as she looked up at him, and he visibly relaxed, playing with the cuffs of his new hoodie as he turned to look at the samples on the table. Marinette walked him through everything, and she was just finishing up as the door slammed open. 

“Here you are!” Boomed Jagged as he swaggered into the room, taking up the space of someone three times his size with the sheer force of his personality. He was smiling as if Marinette had not heard him screaming at one of his employees just a few minutes ago. There was nothing but praise for Marinette, though, as he felt fabrics and compared colors. He made his choices, then turned to eye Luka and Marinette slyly. 

“I don’t think any more work is happening here today, why don’t you go take Marinette out for dinner. She works too hard and doesn’t take good care of herself. Make sure she eats.”

Marinette glared at the older man, about to protest, but Luka smiled a slow smile and looked over at her. “Sure, J. I owe her one.”

With a bright smile and a shout to someone passing by Jagged whirled out of the room. As Marinette started gathering her samples, she said over her shoulder to Luka, “You don’t need to feed me.”

He shrugged, a simple roll of his shoulder, and he jammed his hands in his pockets. “Maybe I want to. Plus, Jagged’s paying and my mom always told me never to turn down free food.”

Laughing, Marinette slid the zipper of the garment bag closed. “Your mother sounds like a very wise woman.”

His laughter joined hers, although he was shaking his head in mock fear. “Never tell her that, please.”

Lifting the garment bag for her, he ushered her out of the studio. They talked as they walked, and Marinette barely noticed they’d arrived at the restaurant, focused as she was on her companion. He seemed to be equally as focused on their conversation and Marinette was basking under his intense gaze. 

They spent the meal talking about their families and their interests and pretty much everything that came into their heads, barely noticing what they were eating. Looking back later, Marinette couldn’t remember where they dined or what they ate, but she’d memorized the exact color of Luka’s eyes, and how the blue in his hair shone through whenever he shoved his hands through it. 

He offered to walk her home, once they were done, and Marinette accepted with a smile, even though it was only a few blocks away. They arrived outside her apartment building, and she invited him in. They sat on her couch talking until Luka sighed heavily. “I really should leave, but I had a really nice time. I absolutely love this jacket. Thank you.”

The smile that had not left her face widened, and she offered him a hug. Luka bent to kiss her cheek, lingering for just a moment before straightening. On a bout of courage, Marinette pushed to her toes, pausing long enough for Luka to pull back, but when his eyes dropped to her mouth, Marinette closed the distance between them, her lips pressing against his. When they broke apart, Luka rested his forehead against Marinette’s.

“Can I take you out again?” His warm breath gusting across her lips with his words. 

“Tomorrow?” Marinette asked, with a smile.

Luka chucked softly, shaking his head. “I’ll be stuck at work late tomorrow, How about Saturday?”

Marinette smiled. “It’s a date.”

They shared one more soft kiss, and Marinette smiled, running her fingers through his hair. As she closed the door behind him, her hand came up to touch her mouth, gently stroking where she could still feel Luka’s lips on hers. The song that had been growing stronger in her heart all week as she worked on his hoodie had now reached a crescendo. She smiled as she hummed it to herself, resolving to ask Luka to see if he could record it for her.


End file.
